The detective in charge of the hunt for Tom Phillips and his three children says negotiations with the fugitive had “always been on the table”.
Speaking with Paddy Gower Has Issues last night, Detective Senior Sergeant Andrew Saunders said police were open to discussions with Phillips to ensure his children were returned home safely.
Phillips and his three children – Jayda, Maverick and Ember – went missing from Marokopa in December 2021.
Despite multiple police operations and rewards offered to find them, there has been no success. They are currently in the middle of their fourth winter in hiding.
Saunders told 1News today that police’s focus throughout the search had been the safe return of the children.
“We want to do that safely,” he said. “We have to be very measured in everything we do out there because we don’t want to get into any confrontation.”
Marokopa children: ‘An increased risk of it not ending as we’d hoped’ – Watch on TVNZ+
He said negotiating with Phillips to ensure the safe return of the children had “always been on the table” and said police were open to talking to Phillips or his associates.
“If Tom knows what we’re doing and wants to come forward, that’s great, but equally, whoever is helping him, come and see us.
“If they don’t trust talking to us, they can go to another person and actually get them to contact us, and we’ll start talking.”
Saunders was asked if those helping Phillips would be safe from prosecution if they decided to talk to police.
Saunders wouldn’t give an answer, but said it was “all part of negotiations”.
“We just have to start talking first.
“The focus is getting those children out safely.”
Tom Phillips and his three children went missing from Marokopa in December 2021. (Source: 1News)
Phillips’ sister Rozzi also spoke to Gower, where she pleaded for him to come home. Saunders said they would hopefully reach Phillips or those helping him.
“They’ll hopefully now recognise they need to do the right thing and end this.”
Phillips’ disappearance in December 2021 came after he was charged with wasting police resources for a previous disappearance with the kids in September.
Since then, efforts to find the fugitive family – which included numerous searches of the area and an $80,000 reward – have proved futile.
Phillips is an experienced bushman, and it’s understood that others are helping him stay off the grid.
Phillips lost custody of the children and faces more charges in connection with an alleged bank robbery in Te Kūiti, which took place while he was on the run.
A group of pig hunters spotted the fugitive father and kids. (Source: Supplied)
In October last year, Phillips and his three children were filmed walking on farmland about 3km south of Marokopa by young pig hunters. It was the last confirmed sighting of the four.
How would negotiations with Phillips actually work?
Following the sighting of Phillips and the children last year, former detective inspector, lead negotiator, and now private consultant Lance Burdett told 1News that he was willing to act as an independent negotiator or mediator between those assisting Phillips and the police.
He was asked by 1News what negotiations with Phillips would look like. Burdett said it was all about the terminology used.
“He’s not giving up his family, he’s not giving up the children. It’s the terminology you use – it’s helping the children.
“So, we have to change our approach. Family will always love their children, and they will do what they think is right for them.
“It’s just showing them another way that they can help, and that’s what the idea of this would be. And that they will actually be helping the children by working through a resolution to what’s happening right now.
“Because currently it’s getting more difficult and more difficult for that resolution to arrive.”
Burdett had attempted to find someone to contact those helping Phillips but ultimately had to back off due to the amount of attention being put on Phillips and his family by local and international media.
“The willingness to help was misconceived by others, particularly those in the media and international media. So, they flooded the area and started having direct contact with the family and of course, that actually heightened the risk of things rather than helping.
“It’s a delicate situation, and the longer a situation goes on, the greater the risk of it not ending as we’d hoped. And when you push on people and ask them questions, and then somebody comes in and asks similar questions, it pushes the person away.”
He said that he was “always willing” to step in and help whoever needed it if negotiations went ahead.
“I’m always willing to offer myself to help, whether it’s in a consultant way with family members to help do it, whether it’s with the psychologist or with whoever, even the police.”
Burdett said Rozzi speaking publicly about her brother “certainly heightens” the chance of the children being returned home.
“With a family member and that close connection, the emotional connection, hopefully that will certainly have an impact of some sort, probably the better.”
